Removal of Contaminants from Oracle Bones During Sample Pretreatment

Animal bones and tortoise shells were used for divination by the Chinese royal family during the Shang Dynasty (similar to w16th-11th century BC), and the divination results were recorded as inscriptions on oracle bones and shells, which are very valuable cultural remains and record many important events in the Shang Dynasty period. Thus, radiocarbon dating of oracle bones was used to build a precise chronology of the late Shang Dynasty. Due to their original burial conditions and the fact that in subsequent decades the pieces were traded or archived in museums, oracle bones are expected to be contaminated with exogenous materials from the environment and the conservation process. During dating, we found that some samples were contaminated by conservation chemical reagents. The contaminated samples were purified by removing exogenous chemicals with a series of organic solvents, in a method modified from Bruhn et al. (2001). Both whole bone and gelatin samples were processed with this purification method, resulting in satisfactory improvements in dating results.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000251221300005&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Geochemistry & GeophysicsSCI(E)CPCI-S(ISTP)

Data Analysis and Calibration of Radiocarbon Dating Results from the Cemetery of the Marquises of Jin

The chronology study of the cemetery of Marquises of Jin is valuable to improving the chronological table of Marquis of Jin family. It is also helpful for improving the chronological table of the Zhou Dynasty. The samples were measured at Peking University (PKUAMS). We also made an interlaboratory check with Isotrace to ensure the accuracy. By careful analysis of archaeological information, we built different models and calibrated by OxCal. The calibration results, both sampling contexts and estimations, are in very good agreement with the historical record. Because the dates of some events correspond to the special part of the curve, the calibration gets very high precision. The calibration result of tomb M93 suggests that its host is Marquis Shangshu instead of Marquis Wen.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

Removal of Contaminants from Oracle Bones During Sample Pretreatment

From the 19th International Radiocarbon Conference held in Keble College, Oxford, England, April 3-7, 2006.Animal bones and tortoise shells were used for divination by the Chinese royal family during the Shang Dynasty (~16th-11th century BC), and the divination results were recorded as inscriptions on oracle bones and shells, which are very valuable cultural remains and record many important events in the Shang Dynasty period. Thus, radiocarbon dating of oracle bones was used to build a precise chronology of the late Shang Dynasty. Due to their original burial conditions and the fact that in subsequent decades the pieces were traded or archived in museums, oracle bones are expected to be contaminated with exogenous materials from the environment and the conservation process. During dating, we found that some samples were contaminated by conservation chemical reagents. The contaminated samples were purified by removing exogenous chemicals with a series of organic solvents, in a method modified from Bruhn et al. (2001). Both whole bone and gelatin samples were processed with this purification method, resulting in satisfactory improvements in dating results.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

AMS Radiocarbon Dating of Tianma-Qucun Site in Shanxi, China

From the 17th International Radiocarbon Conference held in Jerusalem, Israel, June 18-23, 2000.Tianma-Qucun is the biggest site of Western Zhou Dynasty discovered in Shanxi Province, China. It has been recognized as the early capital of Jin, a vassal state of Western Zhou. The territories were granted to the first Marquis of Jin with the title in the early days of Western Zhou. Bone sample series from the site were radiocarbon-dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and calibrated with the Oxford calibration program OxCal 3.5. Bayesian analysis of the calibrated ages shows that the earliest residents of the Western Zhou came to Tianma-Qucun area in 1020–940 BC and the lower boundary of the Western Zhou is 796–754 BC, which corresponds well to the historical record 770 BC.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

AMS Radiocarbon Dating of the Fengxi Site in Shaanxi, China

The Fengxi site is near the Feng River in Shaanxi Province, China. Feng City was the capital of the vassal state of Zhou, and the Zhou people lived in this area until the end of the Western Zhou. Serial samples of charcoal, bone, and charred millet were collected from the site and dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). A sequence model with 6 phases of the Western Zhou dynasty was constructed and the 14C ages were calibrated with OxCal v 3.9. The results showed that the site was used from 1170-1070 BC until 825-755 BC, and the Conquest of Shang by King Wu most probably occurred during 1060-1000 BC.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

14C AMS Dating the Transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic in South China

To study the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic period and its duration, samples of charcoal, bone, flowstone and shells excavated from Bailiandong and Miaoyan caves, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, South China were dated using the Peking University AMS facility and liquid scintillation counter. The remains excavated from these sites show typical characteristics of the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Radiocarbon dating results show a rapid transition from ca. 20 to 10 ka BP.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

Improvements and Applications of AMS Radiocarbon Measurement at Peking University

AMS radiocarbon measurements were started at Peking University in 1992 with a modified HICONEX 834 ion source. Some archaeological samples were measured at a sensitivity of 10^-14 with ca. 1.7% precision for modern samples. We have made many improvements in our first two years of operation: a high-intensity Cs sputtering ion source was installed; the graphite sample preparation technique was investigated; and the system stability has been improved. The blank sample background is currently ca. 0.006 MC and a precision within 1% can be reached for modern samples. Geological, archaeological, environmental and biomedical samples can be measured routinely. We present some typical applications.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

AMS Radiocarbon Dating of Bone Samples from the Xinzhai Site in China

Xinzhai is an important archaeological site discovered 40 yr ago and recently re-excavated in the Henan Province, dynasty of China. Radiocarbon measurements on bone samples from this site were performed at the Peking University AMS facility (PKU-AMS) and the Vienna University AMS facility (VERA). Calibrated ages were obtained with the computer program OxCal. The results of these measurements are presented and the related chronology is discussed.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202